Shattered
by Morrigayn DeWyvern
Summary: Sequel to Whiplash. Chapter 3 is up and heed the A/N.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is direct sequel to Whiplash.

Shattered

Optimus was staring into nothing, as he was wont to do since his encounter with Megatron in a mountain chain an Earth month ago. He was supposed to be working on reports for Agent Fowler regarding Decepticon activity, but his thoughts kept straying back to those few hours with Megatron.

Optimus was roused from his reverie when Ratchet overrode the lock on his office and barged in glaring at the Prime.

"This has to stop, Optimus. I have been pinging for you for a half hour, then spent another five minutes knocking on this door."

"What do you need, Ratchet?" Optimus asked.

"I was giving you my medical reports to include in your reports to Fowler."

Optimus took them and dismissed Ratchet, "Thank you, Ratchet, that will be all."

Ratchet stood up at his full height and glared at Prime, "No, it is not all. I am pulling medical rank on you, Optimus."

Optimus glared at Ratchet and spoke in a low, rumbling growl, "I am fine, Ratchet. Nothing is wrong…"

"Nothing…you have been staring out in space and acting peculiar since Megatron raped…"

Optimus stood up then and grabbed his friend by the neck joints, "I was not raped…how many times must I have to repeat that to you."

Ratchet easily swatted Optimus' hands away from his neck, "I found you and Megatron is stasis in that mine. Both of you covered in lubricant and transfluids with damage at your writs, pelvic plating and spark chamber…then when I woke you, you refuse to take him prisoner or offline that monstrosity…or explain what happened down there. You commanded me and the others to leave a beacon for the Decepticons to gather Megatron…"

"Enough!" Optimus roared shaking Ratchet by his shoulder struts.

Optimus then slumped in defeat and whispered, "What do you know of Orion?"

Ratchet was really beginning to suspect his Prime was losing his processor. "What does Orion have to do with anything?"

"Everything, Ratchet." Optimus said sadly as he sat back at his desk and cradled his helm in his hands. "Megatron was suffering from whiplash from use of suppression nanites…"

"How long had he been using them?" Ratchet asked.

"Since he came of age…never had a heat cycle he said…"

"Unicron fragging Primus in the Pit!" Ratchet shouted in horror.

Optimus gave Ratchet a knowing look. "I manipulated him into interfacing with me…"

"Whatever possessed your processor to do that?" Ratchet was disgusted by the idea.

"I have always wanted to persuade Megatron to give up his destructive and hostile pursuits; you know this. I thought if I could assist him, and spark merge, that I could understand him and persuade him…"

Optimus made a choking sound and tears of coolant fell down his cheek struts, "All of this is because of me…Orion…"

Ratchet sat down on the Autobot sized couch after sending a message to the others that he and Prime were not to be disturbed. "What do you mean?"

Optimus asked again, "What do you know of Orion?"

Ratchet was quiet for a moment before asking, "You don't have his memories in your data…spark…"

Optimus shook his helm in the negative. "Orion sacrificed himself to the Spark of Primus. Primus remade him into me, Optimus Prime. There is nothing of Orion within. Megatron was looking for Orion when we merged…"

Optimus was lost in the memories of the searing pain and hatred of Megatronus at the realization that Orion was truly gone.

Ratchet nodded at that. He had wondered but not asked the Prime of his former incarnation.

"Orion was a lot like Jack. Kind and honorable…too young for the responsibilities asked of him, stubborn and loyal to a fault…"

Optimus nodded at that. "What was his relationship with Megatron?"

Ratchet ventilated heavily, "That is difficult to say. At first, Orion was suspected of being the spy he was. Eventually, Megatron won over Orion. They were very close…too close…Orion loved Megatron."

Optimus felt those words like a blow of an energon sword to his spark chamber. "So Megatron spoke truthfully…"

Ratchet snorted, "You spark merged with him…there is no room for lies…"

Optimus interrupted, "But I doubted his judgment…even merged."

Ratchet nodded. "Orion loved Megatron. Megatron loved Orion. However, Orion could not and would not agree to the violence that Megatron planned for and eventually encouraged."

Optimus nodded, "Orion chose to become one with Primus."

Ratchet nodded. "Megatron unleashed a torrent of violence that knew no bounds when you walked out of the Spark of Primus."

"His fury was relentless with the loss of Orion…the only person Megatron could or would ever love." Optimus whispered sadly. "This entire war has been about destroying everything that Orion held dear and destroying me for annihilating Orion."

Ratchet asked, "Is this what is disturbing your processor?"

"No, it is the unending turmoil and misery in Megatron. There was no passion when we interfaced…it was primal need and vengeance driving Megatron. He skewered himself on my spike…and forced our sparks together…he violated himself in his quest for Orion."

Ratchet ventilated heavily, "There is nothing you can do about it, Optimus. Do not make Orion's sacrifice be in vain. You stand against the darkness."

Optimus nodded and both sat quietly.

"Ratchet, Optimus, there is something you need to see." Arcee commed.

"Is it important?" Ratchet asked irritably.

"Megatron's energy signature has shown up on our monitors alone."

Ratchet and Optimus both rose to go to the monitor room. Optimus could see Megatron had returned to the mountain where they had come together.

"Open a ground bridge, Ratchet." Optimus commanded.

"This could be a trap!" Arcee said.

"She's right." Ratchet agreed.

Optimus glared at Ratchet keenly. _"You know it is not." _Optimus said via a private comm.

Ratchet ventilated heavily and opened the ground bridge. Optimus strode through without a backward glance. The ground bridge winked out in an instant.

Optimus stepped out of the ground bridge and came optic to optic with Megatron. Megatron was standing in front of the entrance of the mine where his Decepticons had saved him.

"It was you who continued this. Let my men find me?" Megatron asked in a hate filled hissed.

Optimus winced at the tone and nodded gravely. Megatron laughed at the broken expression on Optimus Prime's face plates.

"My goodness, Prime, you don't look so well. It just so happens that I have a gift for you. It should cheer you up immensely. I had hoped to meet you here. Take it as a thank you for this continued abhorrence."

Megatron took a small box from his storage and threw it at the Prime's feet. Without another word, Megatron transformed into his jet mode and made off with a large sonic boom.

Optimus looked at the small box long moments before picking it up. Optimus gently opened the lid.

He began to tremble at the sight within. His optics widened to their greatest and his ventilations stalled completely.

Inside the box was the offlined corpse of a sparkling…mech by the look of it…premature and deformed. It was still covered in circuits and fluids from emergence. Optimus could see vague features of himself and Megatron in the twisted, lifeless mechling.

Optimus Prime's spark shattered in grief.


	2. Chapter 2

Optimus stumbled back through the ground bridge. Ratchet knew something was terribly wrong when Optimus screamed to open the ground bridge. Optimus was quaking and his vocalizations were garbled, broken nonsense. Ratchet and Arcee could see he cradled something against his chest plates. Tears of pain flowed freely down Optimus' faceplates. Optimus fell to his knee joints just inside of the ground bridge, bent to the floor and retched.

Ratchet and Arcee watched in horror as the Prime violently brought up all the energon in his fuel tank. Unprocessed and partially processed energon violently exploded from the Prime's agonized face plate and thickly coated the floor in foul, viscous slurry. Optimus clung to the small object and rocked back and forth completely ignoring the vomitus that was splattered on his faceplates, chest plates, and arms.

Ratchet broke from his torpor first and rushed to assist the Prime. Arcee quickly moved to the Prime's side. "What is wrong, Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

Optimus sat back from his hunched position and slowly uncurled his hands revealing a small, premature sparkling that appeared lifeless. "My son." Optimus groaned brokenly.

Arcee screamed in horror at the sight. Ratchet pushed her violently away. "Get to the monitors, Arcee, now!" Arcee stumbled and ran away from the gruesome sight lost in her own memories of loss and grief.

Ratchet quickly scanned the small being. "By the All Spark, he lives."

It could not be possible Ratchet though quickly. He was too young to viable…he was suffering from lack of a parental bond and the deformations of his small protoform from lack of vital nutrients. Ratchet ran scans again. Again, scans showed a slow spark beat…much to slow for a sparkling, but the mechling was struggling to survive.

"Optimus!" Ratchet said. Optimus was not really responding seemingly lost in a tide of grief. Ratchet grabbed Optimus by his shoulder struts and shook him hard. "Optimus open your chest plates and put the sparkling against your spark!"

Optimus did as he was told not really understanding. His chest plates slowly parted leaving a sticky web of purged energon glistening between the parting plates. Ratchet impatiently swiped at the mess and guided Optimus' hands into his chest cavity. When the little, broken sparkling's weak EM field came into contact with Optimus' spark field, the affect was immediate on Optimus. Optimus 'optics flashed in pain and recognition.

"He lives?" Optimus whispered in surprise as he looked down at his sparkling laying against his spark chamber.

"Against all odds, yes. Reach for him, Optimus. Let your spark field mingle with is EM field. If he can form a parental bond with you, he may survive, yet." Ratchet said.

Internally, Ratchet was cursing. They did not have materials or a vat to put the sparkling in for it to grow. He was going to have to try a rare procedure that was used eons ago before the technology developed for artificial vats.

"Optimus, you have to form a Carrier bond with him…"

"I am his Sire?"

"I know that, but Megatron prematurely birthed him. Judging from the mechling's EM fields he never bonded with Megatron. Megatron probably didn't know he was carrying. Reach for him Optimus."

Optimus did reach for the mechling. Their fields mingled and Optimus spark swelled with recognition of its progeny. Optimus groaned in pain from his reproductive systems violently onlining and the perceived pain of the child. Ratchet monitored the process.

"Good, Optimus. I am going to offline your pain receptors."

"Why?" Optimus said as he gently caressed the stressed sparkling dislodging some of the circuitry and fluids that still coated the mechling from the emergence from Megatron.

"Don't do that!" Ratchet yelled in panic.

Optimus jerked his hand back from his son. "Why?"

"Those circuits are still attached to the sparkling. He will need them to integrate into your systems. I am going to open your gestational chamber and put him in and hopefully he will integrate into your gestational chamber. Pray to Primus."

Ratchet pushed the Prime to lie down. Optimus did as he was told. Ratchet quickly cleaned the vomit from the Prime and the floor. He then activated the lasers to sterilize the area as best as he could. Ratchet would have preferred to do this in the med bay, but there wasn't time to move them. The sparkling was failing.

Ratchet quickly removed the outer armor of the Prime's midsection and without preamble cut into the Prime's protoform. Layers of protoform, nervous circuitry and musculature cables were delicately sliced or pushed aside. Ratchet with quick, deft movements completely exposed the gestational chamber of the Prime. Gentle fingers pushed the chamber. The chamber was turgid and full with gestational fluids and nanites. Scans showed that the inner protoform membranes of the chamber were thick with vascular energon lines and capillaries. Optimus' gestational chamber was as ready as it could be. Ratchet made a small incision and adjusted a static field to prevent the fluids within from gushing out.

"Give him to me, Optimus." Ratchet said in deep concentration. Optimus quickly and quietly handed the sparkling over to Ratchet. Ratchet eased the sparkling into opening and adjusted it so that was lying against the wall of the gestational chamber. Ratchet quickly sealed the wound. Optimus made to rise. Ratchet pushed him down.

"Don't move, Optimus. Jostling the sparkling could prevent it from integrating into your gestational chamber. Keep reaching for the sparkling. Give it all your energies and love. I am keeping your pain receptors off to reduce the stress to both of your systems. Primus willing, this ancient, barbaric technique will work."

Optimus did not respond. His entire consciousness was turned inward toward the sparkling. He lay there on the stone floor for hours. Ratchet sat beside him monitoring the slow integration of the sparkling with its parent's systems. Micron by micron the circuitry of the sparkling was penetrating the inner protoform membranes of Optimus' gestational chamber. The mechling's spark beat was growing stronger with every passing hour.

Sometime during the process, Bumblebee and Bulkhead came crashing into the area. Bumblebee was buzzing in a flurry of concern. His door wings were stiff and trembling with suppressed fear and tension. They found Optimus lying on his back seemingly unconscious and Ratchet sitting over him.

Bulkhead asked, "What is going on? We get in from patrol, and Arcee is babbling like mad about dead sparklings and Optimus!"

Ratchet turned to them and spat out, "Get out. Go about your duties. We will explain everything later."

Bumblebee and Bulkhead just stared at Ratchet. Ratchet yelled, "Out! That is an order!"

Bumblebee recognized that tone and pushed Bulkhead out. Ratchet turned his attentions back to Optimus and the sparkling. Ratchet removed cubes of medical grade, fortified energon from his storage and set up and IV drip into Optimus.

"This will help your systems adjust and replenish. Your son is integrating well, Optimus." Ratchet spoke quietly.

Optimus nodded, "How?" Optimus' vocalizer was hoarse from the earlier purging and the screaming. He could feel the strengthening of the sparkling within and was curious about the procedure.

Ratchet ventilated heavily and rubbed his faceplates with his hands. "Before the technology was developed for artificial gestational vats, sometimes a sparkling that prematurely emerged was placed in its Sire's gestational tank. A bonded pair's reproductive systems often mirror each other. This procedure was sometimes used with un-bonded pairs if the Sire was willing and able to form a bond with the sparkling. It had a high chance of failure around thirty percent with bonded couples and even higher among unbounded. The practice was discontinued after we developed artificial gestational vats."

"Will my son live?" Optimus asked with painful hope in his optics.

Ratchet shook his helm, "It is anyone's guess. He shouldn't even exist, Optimus. There never has been a recorded conception during a whiplash event. Energies are too chaotic and high for conception to occur. He is too young to be viable even with an artificial gestational vat, yet he held on after the premature emergence from Megatron. I can only guess that his conception and survival is because of the dark energon that is inherited from Megatron and perhaps the energies from the Matrix."

Optimus nodded and cradled the gentle swell in his abdomen, "He is deformed. Is that from the dark energon or the whiplash?"

Ratchet nodded, "Some of what you perceive as deformity is actually due to the fact that he is so premature and most of his protoform and systems are rudimentary at best. Some of what you see is from lack of nutrients from Megatron…" Ratchet shook his helm. He seriously doubted Megatron knew he was with child and Knock Out hadn't looked for the signs because this had never happened before.

"Will he heal?" Optimus spoke as he gently caressed his abdomen and sent warm, loving warmth to the sparkling.

"If he integrates with in your gestational system, much can be undone by a solid bond with you and plenty of nutrient rich fuel going into you. The amount damage to his being that cannot heal is not something we can speculate upon until emergence?"

Optimus smiled at Ratchet, "I have faith in you."

Ratchet stood and stretched. Cables and joints popped from being in one position for so long. "Primus, I can hardly believe this is happening." Ratchet rubbed the space between his optics. He had a killer processor ache.

Ratchet scanned the Prime again. "He is integrating well. I will need the others to help me move you to your berth. You cannot stand for a month at least. It will take that long for the latticework of cables and circuitry to completely secure the sparkling in your gestational tank."

Optimus' optics narrowed in thought, "I am leader…"

"If you want the sparkling to have the best chance of surviving then you will have to be on berth rest. No arguments. Of course, you'll have accommodations in your berth room, and you will be consulted on all things pertinent."

Optimus ventilated deeply, "I will do as you say, Ratchet. Thank you for saving my son."

"Don't thank me yet, Prime. Thank me when you deliver him in a year."

"I am going to give you a light sedative, Optimus. You need to rest. It will also be easier for us to position and move you to your berth room if you are not stiff and fighting it."

Optimus looked scared for a moment. Ratchet then spoke gently, "It is nothing that can cross the gestational barrier or interrupt the integration process. It will calm your overwrought processor and ease you into recharge which your body needs."

Optimus agreed. Ratchet injected the sedative into the IV line. Optimus' optics dimmed and his protoform and frame relaxed as he slid into recharge. Ratchet ran another scan to ensure himself that the sparkling and their Prime was stable. Ratchet removed a blanket from his storage and covered Optimus.

"Unicron fragging Primus in the Pit, how am I going to explain this?" Ratchet murmured as his tired shoulders slumped. Ratchet ventilated heavily, then straightened his shoulders and walked purposely toward the monitor room where he knew the others were waiting.

"How had this happened?" Ratchet wondered again.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Chapter contains flash back of a graphic medical procedure of a dilation and evacuation of a miscarried sparkling and emotional aftermath. I have suffered from miscarriages so this is more realistic than most writing. This chapter could cause triggers. If this will return you, dear reader, to grieving or trauma, DO NOT READ._

Megatron flew through the skies heading back to the Nemesis. He never noticed the beautiful cirrus clouds or the ambient temperature. He had no optics for the colors of the sun or the stars beginning to peep into vision as he climbed in altitude. Twice along the way, Megatron briefly suffered vertigo and lost altitude. He cursed his protoform's weakness and strengthened his resolve to return to his warship. Finally, he caught sight of his ship cutting through the cumulonimbus clouds and fully engaged his thrusters to shoot into the upper atmosphere to reach his home. He transformed and landed with an inelegant thud and went to his knee joints. Megatron's ventilations were coming in high whistling, gasps as his cooling systems struggled to work. Megatron placed a hand on his abdomen and groaned in pain. Energon and fluids dripped thickly down his thigh plates. His spark thudded so hard against its casing; Megatron prayed that it would give out and end this suffering.

Knock Out appeared seemingly out of nowhere and provided a shoulder for the large gladiator to grasp to rise and lean upon. "My lord, you should not have left the Nemesis. You are much too weak…" Knock Out murmured quietly.

"I had to dispose of it, Knock." Megatron mournfully whispered. "It could not remain aboard…he was offlined…" Megatron sobbed. "It is a weakness I cannot afford."

Knock Out just nodded as Megatron slowly rose and stumbled. Knock Out slowly led Megatron into the medbay of the Nemesis. Megatron grateful that he had the foresight to send Starscream and Airachnid out on scouting and reconnaissance missions on opposite ends of this globe when this atrocity had befallen him. Either of them would try to use the event to their own ends. Megatron silently cursed Primus and Unicron as he was escorted by Knock Out.

Knock Out settled the Lord of the Decepticons onto a berth in the medbay and turned to lock the doors. He also sent an encrypted message to Soundwave advising that Megatron was incapacitated and that he had command of the Nemesis until further notice. Soundwave sent back an affirmation but asked no questions.

Knock Out inserted IV lines into the venous ports of the gladiator. One line carried heavily fortified, medical grade energon. The other carried medications to speed the contractions and sealing of the gestational chamber of Megatron. In Knock Out's professional opinion, the gestational chamber was still too distended, and Megatron was losing too much fluids and energon.

"Lord, I would like to induce stasis so that you will not suffer unduly." Knock Out was worried that the emotional and physical trauma of the miscarriage would be too much for Megatron to process.

"No, Knock Out. I wish to remain aware." Megatron quietly said. His optics narrowed in pain as his gestational tank cramped and contracted but he did not cry out. Fluids, clots, dead circuitry gushed from his tank in cleansing waves.

Knock Out cleaned the detritus from his lord's thighs, valve and interface panel. He kept a close optic on the monitors scanning Megatron's various systems.

"What did you do with the mechling?" Knock Out murmured. He did not want to disturb the silence in the medbay or provide enough volume for any that could be listening. Megatron hissed, "I gave him to Optimus, who was an unplanned interloper. I hope he suffers a much as I do." Megatron turned his helm to face the wall and said no more.

Megatron had been enraged to madness when the Prime happened upon him just as he landed and got his bearings. Megatron wished for solitude to quietly say goodbye to the pitiful mechling. He felt that the cave of his conception would have been the fitting place to lay the young one to rest. In a fit of wrath, he'd thrown the corpse of his only child at the feet of its Sire and quickly retreated lest he fall into self destructive insanity or collapse from weakness. He grieved for the mechling and repented of his rash actions, but nothing could be done to remedy it. The pain swirling in his spark was another note in the concerto of suffering in which Megatron lived his daily life. No past, no future, no hope. Life fit only for destruction until he was destroyed.

Megatron slowly drifted into recharge despite his best efforts to remain aware. His protoform and spark had reached their limit of endurance. Knock Out ventilated in relief as the gladiator rested. For all the Megatron was strong and powerful, he was not infinite.

Knock Out continued to clean and reorganize the medbay after he ascertained Megatron was in deep recharge. Knock Out shuddered at the memory and guilt as he methodically went about his work. This should have never happened. There had never been a recorded conception from a whiplash event.

Megatron had barged into the medbay a day ago in the throes of a miscarriage. Megatron had continued to rule and direct the Decepticons after the initial whiplash event acting as if nothing had happened for the two days he was missing. Starscream had tried to find out what went on during those days, but Knock Out would not speak of it. Knock Out did value patient confidentiality, even more so he valued his finish and plating which Megatron would painfully remove if he spoke about what had happened. Starscream tried threats which did not faze Knock Out. Then when that had no effect, he tried seduction. Knock Out laughed at Starscream and Starscream left in a huff. He hadn't spoken to Knock Out since then.

Late one evening, Knock Out was finishing up minor cleaning and restocking of his medbay when Megatron came in unexpectedly. Knock Out's back struts were turned to the door, and he was busy cataloging medical supplies when the door unexpectedly opened. Knock Out turned to the uninvited visitor with a scowl on his faceplates. Instead of a Vehicon or Insecticon, he found Megatron standing in the doorway swaying on his peds.

"My lord, what is wrong?" Knock Out asked quickly putting down the inventory list and rushing to the side of the gladiator.

"I don't know, doctor. I hurt." Megatron said simply in a groan.

Knock Out knew the lord of the Decepticons had to be in extreme pain to even voice it. Megatron had been known to bring in his own severed appendages to be repaired and re-attached without nary a word or grunt of pain. Knock Out ran scans. Megatron's spark rate was elevated and his energon pressure was low.

Megatron had wakened from recharge feeling off. As they day went on, pains began to emanate from his abdomen. Megatron ignored the pangs and shrugged it off as improperly purified energon or the effects of ingesting too much dark energon at one setting. Later, he purged his fuel tanks and waste tanks multiple times as the solar cycle progressed. As evening gave way to night, the pains became excruciating, and he began to feel weak and dizzy. That is when Megatron stopped pretending to plan the next energon raid and began the arduous task of walking down to the medbay. Each step was a torment as the pains came in constant waves. The old gladiator ground+ his dentals to keep from screaming as he felt something give way within.

He could find no injuries with a peripheral scan so Knock Out deepened the scan and swore at the readings and began to push the old gladiator to a medberth. Megatron began to struggle immediately.

"What is Unicron's damned Pit do you think you are doing, Knock Out?" Megatron growled as he backhanded the medic.

Knock Out reeled from the blow and yelled, "You are miscarrying a mechling, Lord. There is nothing I can do to stop it. There are complications. You will offline if you do not get up on the damned berth and let me do a dilation and extraction."

The scans had showed that the mechling and latticework of circuitry, cables and gestational protoform materials had partially detached and tore loose the gestational tank protoform and major energon lines causing hemorrhage. Megatron's gestational chamber was distending from energon loss while the cervical port had yet to dilate open. Waiting for the port to open, Megatron would exsanguinate.

"What?" Megatron whispered in horror. "How?" Megatron collapsed to his knees as his strength abandoned him.

Knock Out immediately commed Breakdown to assist him knowing Breakdown did not repeat what happened in the medbay when he assisted Knock Out. Breakdown appeared quickly in the door and nearly tripped over Megatron.

"Get him on the medberth now!" Knock Out bellowed at Breakdown. Breakdown roughly heaved Megatron across his shoulder struts and quickly put him on the medberth. Megatron screamed in agony at the movements.

Knock Out immediately inserted an IV line of energon into the venous ports in each of Megatron's arms and set a fast rate of flow to help get Megatron's energon pressure back into a healthier range to do the procedure.

"Breakdown, hook him up to a spark monitor, put in a block to turn off his pain sensors from beneath his spark chamber down, and get my D&E tools."

Breakdown nodded in concentration. For a mech of such size and strength, Breakdown was gentle and efficient. He quickly connected his lord to a monitor and inserted a block into his lord's protoform in his right side under the armor. Upon activation, the block began to emit localized EM fields to disrupt pain sensors and provide immediate pain relief. Breakdown immediately went to the supply closet to procure said tools.

"Lord, you have to stay aware. I cannot put you into stasis…you may not come out of it." Knock Out told Megatron. Megatron nodded mutely. He was still reeling from the announcement, the pain, the loss of energon and was not really coherent.

Knock Out pulled the stirrups out of the medberth and positioned Megatron's legs into them. "Lord, I need you to slide down to the edge of the berth till you feel like your aft is falling off."

Megatron struggled to slide down and Breakdown assisted him. Knock Out set up a hardline connection and used medical overrides to open his lord's interface panel. Knock Out ventilated heavily. He hadn't had to do an emergency D&E in vorns. Sparklings were not usually conceived during war, and never in this circumstance. Knock Out passed the medicines to dilate the cervical port to Breakdown.

"Insert this into the IV, Breakdown." Breakdown did as he was instructed.

"What…what is it?" Megatron demanded. He hated anything done to his protoform without his knowledge and consent. With the pain gone and steady supply of energon replenishing him, Megatron was more aware and coherent.

Knock Out ran sterilizing laser scans across Megatron's lower body, himself and Breakdown's arms and hands. "The injection is a chemical cocktail to force your cervical port to open so I can extract the dead mechling and supporting materials and repair the tear in your gestational chamber." Knock Out said in cool clinical terms. If he had to think of it in real life, Knock Out would go screaming into the Nemesis.

Megatron stared at the ceiling of the medbay for a long moment. "How did this happen?" Megatron asked to no one in particular. The reality of the situation was setting in, and he was angry and spark broken.

Knock Out looked up from monitoring the opening of the cervical port and look lost in thought for a moment.

"As to the conception, no one knows. There has never been a recorded conception from a whiplash event. I can speculate it may have occurred because of the Matrix and your Dark Energon. The miscarriage happened because your protoform and spark cannot support a pregnancy. You were severely injured in the space bridge explosion and were missing for some time. When you were found, you were put into stasis and minimally repaired as we just don't have the resources. Your self-repair had to do what it could. You came out of stasis and suffered a whiplash event shortly after that. Your body was already low on resources to minimally support your frame and protoform. No one knew you were carrying, and you did not receive the extra energon or supplements do get you at healthy ranges much less for carrying. Your body made the choice to survive."

"Damn you, Primus." Megatron whispered and closed his optics.

Knock Out agreed but said nothing. Megatron's cervical port finally opened. A gush of energon, silvery gestational fluids and circuits poured freely. Knock Out slid a bucket between Megatron's legs to catch the effluvia. Knock Out inserted the tools to gently remove the mechling whole so Megatron could see him if he chose. The mechling slid into Knock Out's hands curled upon itself and thick with circuitry and cables that had connected him to his Carrier.

A quick scan showed the spark of the mechling was guttering and soon would extinguish. It made no movements. The mechling was not near the point of viability. He passed the mechling to Breakdown.

"Here take the mechling." Breakdown took the child with a mournful look at the barely formed protoform, gently laid it on a table and covered it with a blanket in respect.

Knock Out quickly inserted the vacuum cannula and turned it on. He gently suctioned all of the contents of Megatron's gestational chamber as quickly and efficiently as possible. He then switched tools to repair the severed energon lines and seal the tear in the gestational chamber protoform. Finally, Knock Out was finished and Megatron's body was trying to close the cervical port and slow the purging of energon and materials from the internal lining of the gestational chamber. The whole ordeal from start when Megatron wandered in to the medbay till that moment had taken less than a human hour.

"Breakdown, you can remove the block. It is done, my lord." Knock Out rose sadly from between Megatron's legs and began to clean up.

Breakdown removed the block. Megatron felt the return of cramps and pain. None of the physical pain compared to the maelstrom of grief swirling in his spark. He grieved for a lost hope.

"Can I see him?" Megatron requested brokenly.

Knock Out nodded and gently lifted the blanketed bundle. With infinite gentleness, he passed the mechling to its Carrier. "He is much under-formed, Megatron."

Megatron understood what Knock Out was not saying and motioned for the mechling. He held the sparkling in his hand and gently peeled back the blankets. The mechling's protoform was whole but very basic with its organs and systems at minimal operation. Megatron could not feel EM fields for the small mech and assumed he was offlined. He held the small creature in his hands for many minutes. He never noticed the tears streaming down his faceplates.

"Primus, you have taken Orion and now take my son. Is there nothing you will not leave me except my life?" Megatron growled. Primus hated Megatron he concluded. Even the lowest organic life forms brought forth life…how was it that he could not. For once, he did not blame Optimus. Optimus could not have known that this would occur or he would have never intervened.

Knock Out allowed Megatron some time to grieve and then spoke hesitantly, "Lord, we need to dispose of the sparkling…"

Megatron's faceplates snapped up from gazing at his dead son and hissed between grit dentals, "How dare you…"

Knock Out held his hands up in supplication, "Lord, I beg you to listen. We have no mausoleum for our deceased aboard the Nemesis. Even if we did, Starscream has been investigating your whereabouts the two days you were missing. He will find a way to use this against you. Lord…we did not do well under Starscream…you cannot fall."

Megatron listened and knew in his spark, Knock Out spoke the truth. He passed the sparkling to Breakdown and made to stand. Knock Out tried to push Megatron back into the berth.

"Lord, you are in no condition to be up…" Knock Out began.

Megatron pulled the IV lines from his venous ports and shrugged Knock Out off. "Put my son in a small metal box. I will give him the burial he deserves." Megatron swayed unsteadily on his peds for a moment before firming his resolve.

Knock Out found a small box for holding mesh and turned to Breakdown. Breakdown gently laid the dead mechling in it. "Till all are one." Knock Out whispered as he closed the box. Knock Out turned to face his lord and reverently gave the box to Megatron.

Without another word, Megatron put the mechling in his storage and left the medbay. The old gladiator slowly made his way to the deck of the Nemesis. He stood for many minutes staring at the stars that could be seen in the high altitude of the flight path of the Nemesis. The aching void threatened to consume Megatron. Megatron screamed to the stars until his voice coder threatened to short. He took a step forward and threw his arms wide as he fell from the deck of the Nemesis. He freefell briefly and then abruptly transformed into his flyer mode and made for the origin of the travesty.


	4. Chapter 4

Ratchet groaned and rubbed his chevron as he walked into the monitor room. He found Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead at the monitors. Ratchet noticed their stiff frames and felt their nervous, confused EM fields. The three turned and faced Ratchet with an expectant look on their faceplates. Ratchet ventilated heavily. The whole truth would have to be told now.

"What is going on, Ratchet?" Arcee demanded. It would be Arcee to break the tenuous silence with fear laced anger.

Ratchet immediately wished he was very far from this place and her accusing optics. He decided the shortest, most direct answer would be best.

"When Optimus was trapped in the cave-in, he came upon Megatron suffering from whiplash from suppression nanites. Optimus interfaced with Megatron…"

"The Pit, you say!" Bulkhead shouted with a grimace of disgust on his faceplates. Bumblebee beeped in confusion. Arcee's faceplates were impassive but anger boiled in her optics.

Ratchet ventilated heavily, "It was decided by Optimus not to tell me what had happened down there before I found him. I had supposed he had been raped from the damage I perceived. He adamantly denied that. He refused to speak of events in the mine and demanded that we leave Megatron to be found."

Arcee spat out between clenched dentals. "Now I understand why he allowed the Slag Maker to live…they are lovers." Betrayal etched her faceplates. She trembled in fury.

Ratchet held his hands up. "They are no such thing. It was a onetime event. Optimus thought saving Megatron's life would help him understand Megatron and bring about peace."

Ratchet shook his helm sadly, "Megatron is consumed with hatred for Optimus Prime for destroying Orion Pax whom he loved. He lives for the destruction of Optimus Prime and all he stands for."

Arcee looked flabbergasted. Bulkhead's mouth plates hung open. Bumblebee buzzed a sad sound.

Ratchet continued, "Megatron conceived, which has never happened during a whiplash. He miscarried the mechling, and I think was bringing to lay it to rest where it was sparked. Optimus joined him and found out about the mechling. Optimus stumbled through the ground bridge with the mechling. Megatron retreated."

Arcee whispered then, "He came through screaming and cradling a dead sparkling. He fell to his knees and vomited everywhere. He was trembling so hard, his armor was rattling." Arcee ventilated deeply and rubbed her optics to dispel the memories.

Ratchet interrupted her, "The sparkling was not dead although it was failing. I used an ancient technique and put it in Optimus' gestational chamber. It is integrating as we speak. I need your assistance to move Optimus. He cannot stand or move much. He is going to have to be on berth rest for at least a human month, maybe more."

Bumblebee buzzed in Cybertronian shorthand.

Ratchet answered, "Yes, it is possible to put a sparkling in its Sire's gestational tank if the Sire has a bond with it. It has a high rate of failure and was the practice was discontinued when we developed better science."

Bumblebee buzzed again and waved his arms in confusion.

Ratchet answered, "The mechling was too young to be viable outside of an artificial gestational tank or a parent's gestational chamber. Primus, it was too young to survive at all…I don't know how any of this happened, Bumblebee. We are literally in uncharted territory."

Bulkhead piped up, "So whadda we do?"

Ratchet shrugged, "Optimus wants the child. He has to be berth bound. We are going to move him to his berth in his quarters."

"Then what, go around like nothing is wrong?" Arcee spat.

Ratchet gave her a long look, "Yes, Arcee. That is exactly what we are going to do. Optimus will not be in stasis only berth bound. He is still leader of the Autobots."

Arcee went to complain but Ratchet turned to leave the monitor room. He looked over his shoulder. "Are you three coming to help me move him?"

Bumblebee shrugged and followed Ratchet. While he was confused about the sparkling and upset that Optimus had interfaced with Megatron, he still trusted Optimus with his whole spark. Bulkhead followed next. To Bulkhead, Prime was Prime. Arcee was angry and bitter over the situation and was reluctant. Memories of her own losses, Tailgate and Cliffjumper, made it difficult for her to understand Optimus' reasons for lying down with Megatron.

Ratchet noticed Arcee not coming to assist. "Arcee, watch the monitors." Ratchet barked. Ratchet understood Arcee was going to be a problem, but he'd let Optimus deal with her.

Ratchet, Bumblebee and Bulkhead went into the large area where the ground bridge was houses. Optimus was still recharging on his back under a warming blanket. Ratchet immediately knelt down and scanned Optimus and the mechling. Both were stable. The mechling and Optimus' gestational chamber were integrating well. The sparkling's spark rate was almost normal for its stage of development.

Ratchet motioned to Bulkhead and Bumblebee. "Help me maneuver his legs and arms into sparkling position. That's good. Now hold that position so I can tie his arms and legs."

Bulkhead and Bumblebee gently moved the Prime's heavy limbs into place. Ratchet removed large belts from his storage and gently strapped Optimus down into a sparkling position with his legs drawn close to his body and his arms crossed over his chest plates. Ratchet checked to make sure the IV line was still secure in the venous port. When everything was secure as could be, Ratchet motioned for them to lift Optimus.

"Bulkhead, grab Optimus by his aft and hip plates! Bee, support his back and abdomen. I'll support his helm, neck struts and shoulder. If any of you get tired or feel your grip slipping, let me know and we'll stop. Optimus is a big fragger and dropping him will certainly injure him and the sparkling." Ratchet barked orders even as he was maneuvering himself into his own position.

They all lifted Optimus together. Bulkhead groaned and Bumblebee buzzed. Primus, Optimus was a heavy 'bot. Ratchet had better time with the Prime because he had been augmented with programs and protoform upgrades when he graduated into the medical profession as a full time doctor/medic. He and others like him had to be able to subdue unruly patients or be able to successfully treat all patients from the smallest microcassette to the largest city formers.

It was a slow process and the group had to stop twice because Bumblebee began to lose his grip and Bulkhead grew weary. Eventually, the group was able to move the dormant Prime into his room and onto his berth. Ratchet unstrapped Optimus' body and the others gently stretched his limbs to their natural positions. Ratchet then moved the berth into a semi-upright position. He then set up an IV drip on an IV pole that was slid out of a storage area on the berth. Lastly, Ratchet heavily layered warming blankets on the Prime. Ratchet scanned Optimus once more to make sure Optimus and the mechling were stable. Everything was as it should be.

"Well, it is done. Good job." Ratchet was weary from all of the emotional and physical highs and lows and rubbed his face plates.

"So what now?" Bulkhead asked.

Ratchet glanced at the two soldiers waiting for orders. "Optimus will remain sedated for another few hours then move into true recharge. He should be awake tomorrow some time. Until then, we need to continue with patrols and other activities."

Bumblebee chirped at Ratchet in Cybertronian shorthand. _"What about Arcee? She seemed pretty upset with all of this."_ Bumblebee was worried about the small femme. He had never seen her so distraught or angry except with dealing with 'Cons.

Ratchet listened to Bee and replied, "I'll deal with Arcee or have Prime deal with her." Ratchet was worried about Arcee, too, but Optimus was the best person to deal with her sharp glossa and fiery temper.

"I am going to stay here and monitor Optimus. Continue with your duties." Ratchet said. "The three of you can work it out amongst yourselves how to rotate patrols and monitor duty. If any 'Con activity occurs, do not engage, until you have spoken with me."

Bulkhead asked, "What about Fowler and the kids?"

Ratchet groaned, "I don't know yet. This can't be kept a secret from Fowler and Miko has a nose for secrets and trouble. I'll deal with Agent Fowler in the morning. We'll have a meeting with the children after school. I'll see if June can join us."

Ratchet shooed them out of Optimus' recharge room. Ratchet then settled himself into a Cybertronian sized sofa and stretched out to take a nap. He set his internal alarm for 3 hours and immediately fell into recharge. He was not going to have any long stretches of continual recharge for the month.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee made their way back to the monitor rooms. Arcee was at the monitors, but they could tell she was very angry.

Bulkhead tried to lay a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him off and abruptly stood. "You guys got this? I am going on patrol."

Neither the big Wrecker nor the small scout was able to answer her before she changed into her motorcycle mode and tore out of the station.

Bulkhead looked at Bumblebee and just shrugged, "You go out on patrol, Bee. I'll take monitor duty."

Bumblebee nodded and transformed. He would do his patrol and then try to catch up with Arcee. Hopefully they could talk about what was bothering her so much.

Bulkhead watched as Bumblebee left the base at a much more sedate pace. Bulkhead mused on just how weird things had gotten as he watched the monitors.


	5. Chapter 5

Optimus came online slowly. His optics un-shuttered. He found himself staring at the familiar ceiling of his recharge room. Memories flooded his processor, and he jerked.

"Ep, ep, ep!"

Prime smiled at the familiar voice. Ratchet came into his line of vision. "No moving, Optimus. You are on berth rest for at least a month. Maybe more if the situation demands it."

Optimus ran his hands across his abdomen. He was bereft of armor there. He could feel the raised ridge where Ratchet had cut into him and then welded him shut again. He felt inward and the sparkling responded with a pulse of energy. "Must I stay on my back struts the entire time, Old Friend?"

Ratchet shook his helm in the negative as he ran scans across Optimus. "No, probably a week. If he is securely attached to your gestational chamber, you may sit up."

Optimus nodded at that. Ratchet pulled a large bag of adulterated energon from his storage and hung it up on a pole that he had installed while Optimus was out. He then inserted a tube at one end and handed the other to Prime.

"Here, drink this. It is energon that is full of ores, minerals, Cybertronium, nanites and other stuff to keep you and the mechling healthy. You are on unlimited rations going forward…"

Optimus interrupted him, "But we don't have enough…"

Ratchet raised his servo to silence him. "We'll make due. We are scouting for energon deposits, and the others have reduced their rations a bit so you and the mechling can thrive."

Optimus shook his helm. "No, the soldiers need their strength. I can't ask them to sacrifice for me."

Ratchet scowled at him and decided to be honest. "The mechling is severely malnourished and barely survived the trauma of its miscarriage from Megatron. Furthermore, I butchered your body to put him inside you. I cannot stress how barbaric the practice is, or how unusual it is that he survived it. Your body needs to rest and recuperate as well as time to online gestational protocols. The mechling also needs rest and recuperation as he integrates into your body. The situation is still extremely precarious. The mechling will not survive if you do not follow my directions. Furthermore, the miscarriage could cause your gestational chamber to rupture at the incision line."

Optimus winced at Ratchet's rant and took the tube in his servos and dutifully emptied the bag of energon. His lip plates made a moue of distaste at the flavor of the energon. "That is foul."

Ratchet grinned mischievously. "Yup. I haven't had time to find Earth equivalents of sweeteners or flavorings we can digest. You know with a war going on and all."

Then with more seriousness Ratchet spoke, "What are you going to do about Megatron?"

Optimus looked sad for a moment. "Nothing at the moment. None of this seems real…it is like a bad recharge flux." He absently ran his servos over his abdomen.

Ratchet nodded. "No kidding. It is going to take a few days for everyone to accept and recover. I suggest not saying anything to Fowler and the children until everyone here has had a chance to adjust…Arcee is taking it particularly hard."

The Prime ventilated heavily. He wasn't surprised. "I'll talk to her when I feel up to seeing visitors. I am tired and hurt."

Ratchet knew he was not just speaking of physical pains but pains of the spark. He pulled a syringe of mild pain relievers and inserted into the venous port of Optimus. "Rest, Optimus. The pain reliever is mild to take the edge off. Anything stronger would not be safe. I'll be back in a few hours to give you another dose. If the pain intensifies or you feel anything out of the norm, ping me. If you feel hunger, ping me. Don't allow that martyrdom complex you have kill your only child. I need to check up on the others."

Optimus winced at the bite in Ratchet's words, but knew he was right. Optimus silently watched Ratchet dim the lights and leave his recharge room. Optimus' thoughts turned inward toward the event that had led to this.

Memories of those few hours with Megatron replayed in a loop in his processor. Optimus chirred and clicked in sadness and horror at the memories of their interfacing and merge. The revelations had been brutal and agonizing. His spark shattered at the thought that their child had been conceived in such hatred and pain. He also grieved for the unending torment of his enemy even as he could not accept the destruction that Megatron's suffering had wrought.

Optimus ran his servos absently across his abdomen feeling the dull aches and pains of the surgery and his protoform adjusting to carrying a child. Instinctively, Optimus felt for the nascent bond with his son. He felt the warmth of its energy and smiled sadly through the pain. Hope blossomed in the Prime's spark that the mechling would live and thrive. Optimus thought of Megatron's cruel actions. Did he despise the issue of his body or was it another ploy to hurt Optimus for destroying Orion? What would Megatron do now?

Megatron woke from recharge. He lay for some moments on the medberth listening to the chirps and chimes of the various monitors Knock Out had in the med bay. His protoform hurt from his waist struts to his knee joints from the miscarriage, the d & e and the ill-advised trip to the cave. He no longer felt fluids pooling and running down his valve and thighs. The physical worst was over. His gestational tank cramped as it continued to heal. He absently ran his clawed servos over the pain and yawning nothingness within.

Finally, Megatron opened his optics. His normally bright crimson to purple optics were dull and tarnished from the suffering of the spark and body. He stared at the ceiling of the Nemesis. He was numb…beyond thought. He began to think maybe he should extinguish his spark and be done. It was nothing. The rage he clung to keep from falling into the abyss flared in response to his thoughts. If there was nothing worth living for then surely there was nothing worth dying for. Suffering begat suffering. There was one who should suffer as much as he. Memories poured forth from the howling maelstrom of the gladiator's spark.

Megatron's optics began to shine from the fury within. Ventilations came in gasps as rage spread. He began to tremble with the fury of it, and his armor rattled loudly in the quiet of the med bay. Heat poured off of his protoform and armor setting the monitors screaming in response. He sat up abruptly and started pulling the monitor leads off of himself.

Knock Out rushed into the medbay. "Lord, you should rest." Knock Out tried to push Megatron back into the berth.

Megatron snarled and threw the medic across the room. "I have had enough of coddling and foolishness."

Megatron stalked past the heap of Knock Out on the floor without a backward glance.

"Starscream!" Megatron bellowed, "Prepare a squadron of Vehicons and Insecticons!"

Starscream responded via the general channel. "Yes, Lord." He didn't ask questions. When Megatron was in one of these moods, it meant pain and destruction lashed out anyone who dared to speak to him.

Megatron met Starscream and the collected soldiers on the deck of the Nemesis. They were all in neat lines and exceedingly subservient in posture. None dared look up at the madness in their Lord's optics. They knew this look. It was the look of death.

After Orion had been lost, Megatron was insane with rage as he was now. He butchered countless lives on Cybertron in retaliation. Whole towns were blown to bits. Bodies of the dead were mutilated and left to decay. Any who spoke against him within the Decepticon ranks were butchered too. Starscream suspected the unspoken of days Megatron had been missing was cause for this latest bout of madness, but he did not dare ask or risk having his spark ripped out.

Megatron stood before his troops silently looking out in the distance. Heat and chaotic EM fields surrounded him in a hellish aura. Abruptly, he turned and dove off of the Nemesis transforming into his alternate mode. They troops followed suit without question. Starscream watched Megatron lead the Vehicons and Insecticons as they disappeared in the distance to wreak unmitigated horror on the human race, the Autobots and Earth. He shuddered with the knowledge and memories of the past. He was silently grateful he was not the object of the gladiator's insane rage. He turned and re-entered the Nemesis to wait for Megatron's return.


End file.
